Spare Times for Children, for June 28-July 4

Children entering the New-York Historical Society on Thursday may think that the oddly dressed gentleman carrying a walking stick and a kite just wandered in from catching the breezes in Central Park. But this visitor hasn’t come from the neighborhood; he’s from the 18th century.

He’s Benjamin Franklin, a k a Jack Sherry, a 61-year-old high school history teacher from West Nyack, N.Y. Mr. Sherry, who’s frequently portrayed Franklin at the museum, will reprise that role in “Independence Day Family Fun!” His wife, Celeste, an English professor, will play Franklin’s spouse, Deborah, who led a quieter life than her illustrious mate.

“He was the only founding father to sign four major documents in American history,” Mr. Sherry said, citing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Treaty of Alliance with France and the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. “He happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Acting in character, Mr. Sherry will answer questions, share Franklin’s enthusiasm for science — while warning children not to fly kites in thunderstorms — and impart some of his role model’s wisdom, like “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

While Franklin will be the only forefather shaking hands, children will encounter the images and artifacts of others in the galleries, where a scavenger hunt will send them looking for pieces like George Washington’s cot and Alexander Hamilton’s portrait. The Hudson River Ramblers will also offer stories and songs of the Revolution, like a tune celebrating the Continental Army’s victory at Saratoga, N.Y. (Joining in is encouraged.)

It will even be possible to taste the past from noon to 4 p.m. in “History of Ice Cream,” a program devoted to making old-fashioned flavors like mint and orange flower water with a vintage-style crank.

And what did Benjamin Franklin think of ice cream? He was known to love it, so that’s not a question likely to stump Mr. Sherry. But he has an answer for any query that does: “I say I can’t remember. I’m 307 years old.”

‘Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures From Playgrounds to Palaces’ (Friday, Sunday through Tuesday, and Thursday) Children will step into the shoes of an explorer like Indiana Jones in this permanent exhibition at the Jewish Museum, but the adventures will be purely scholarly. Still, there is plenty of excitement in analyzing artifacts like a jar handle, a clay jug and a bangle and figuring out the purpose behind ancient pieces like a Greek helmet and a bull-shaped vessel. This interactive show, for ages 3 to 10, also includes a recreated room from the Ottoman period (about 1900), where young archaeologists can dress in costume. From 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Thursdays; 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org. Free with admission: $12; $10 for 65+; $7.50 for students; free for under 12 and members; pay what you wish on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m.

‘The Big Adventure’ (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) Whether or not there are alligators in New York City’s sewers, a local river is filled with them, and the only bridge that crosses it has been washed out. That’s one of the situations in “The Big Adventure,” an exhibition at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum that asks young visitors to use their skills to conquer challenges including flying a virtual plane and navigating a thin beam that represents a building ledge. Intrepid explorers can also make their way across a very real climbing wall. (Through Sept. 29.) Daily except Mondays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the museum is closed July 4. 145 Brooklyn Avenue, at St. Marks Avenue, Crown Heights, (718) 735-4400, brooklynkids.org. Free with admission: through July 16, admission is free on Fridays and Tuesdays through Thursdays, from noon to 3 p.m.; for all other hours, admission is $5; on weekends, admission is $9 all day; admission is free at all times for members and those under 1.

‘Declare Independence’ (Thursday) Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, is inviting children to become revolutionaries — but only for a day. In honor of the Fourth of July, they will play forefathers (and, in this case, foremothers) by signing a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence with a quill pen. To help them get into the 1776 spirit, the museum, a restored 18th-century farmhouse, will help them make plumed paper hats. From 1 to 4 p.m., Prospect Park, the Willink entrance, Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, (718) 789-2822, prospectpark.org/lefferts; free for children; suggested admission of $3 for adults.

‘Design Zone’ (Friday through Thursday) All those cool drum solos, fast-paced video games and plunging roller coasters depend on math and science for their effects. In this new exhibition at the New York Hall of Science, young visitors can learn how a variety of classroom principles apply to real-life design challenges. They’ll also be able to conduct experiments and design things themselves: put together music samples, transform a photo by manipulating pixels, create a skate park on a computer. (Through Sept. 1.) Weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, (718) 699-0005, nysci.org. Free with admission: $11; $8 for students and ages 62+ and 2 through 17; free for under 2.

Family Films: ‘Winged Migration’ (Saturday and Sunday) Everyone seems to be traveling these days, but few do it as gloriously as the subjects of this 89-minute film: the birds who journey thousands of miles every year in an odyssey both dangerous and necessary. Part of the Family Films series from the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the documentary, directed by Jacques Perrin and rated G, uses close-up photography to capture species including ducks, Arctic terns, penguins and pelicans. At 2 p.m., the Amphitheater, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (212) 875-5600, filmlinc.com/films/series/family-screenings; $6.

Field Station: Dinosaurs (Friday through Thursday) It’s not unusual to go see giants in the Meadowlands, but some of those attracting visitors to that area of New Jersey don’t wear helmets or play football. Field Station: Dinosaurs, the 20-acre park filled with more than 30 animatronic prehistoric creatures — including a Tyrannosaurus rex, a stegosaurus and a 90-foot-long Argentinosaurus — is now open seven days a week. The dinosaurs move when approached, and the three-quarter-mile trail offers other paleontology exhibits and a mock fossil dig. The park has expanded its programs and shows, including a new 23-minute 3-D movie, “Dinosaurs Alive!,” about dinosaur hunting in Mongolia and New Mexico. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., One Dinosaur Way (off Exit 15X of the New Jersey Turnpike), Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus, N.J., (855) 999-9010, fieldstationdinosaurs.com. In advance, $23; $20.50 for 65+ and ages 3 to 12. At the box office, $28 and $23. Free for 2 and under.

‘Filling the Grid: Scrabble Strategies and Stories From the Pro’ (Friday) Why celebrate a word game at the National Museum of Mathematics? Well, Scrabble certainly also involves numbers: seven letters, double- and triple-word scores and maximizing points with every play. At this event the three-time Scrabble national champion Joe Edley will share his tips and advise young players, who can bring their own game boards for an evening of strategizing. At 7 p.m., National Museum of Mathematics, 11 East 26th Street, Manhattan, (212) 542-0566, scrabble.momath.org; $12; $10 for members. Registration is recommended.

Film Forum Jr.: ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ (Sunday) Film Forum, the downtown cinema, is now the proud parent of Film Forum Jr., a new series introducing classic movies to children. This week’s film, the last in the series until Sept. 8, is “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942). It stars a tapping and tuneful James Cagney (no gangster stuff here) as the great vaudevillian George M. Cohan. At 11 a.m., 209 West Houston Street, west of Avenue of the Americas, South Village, (212) 727-8110, filmforum.org; $7.

‘Flight of the Butterflies’ (Friday through Thursday) It’s easy to think of the graceful creatures that are the subject of this fascinating film as traveling only short distances, flitting from flower to flower. But half a billion monarch butterflies actually migrate 3,000 miles every fall, to Mexico from Canada. A new Imax movie, this project chronicles their journey and the 40-year investigation of it by one impassioned scientist, Fred A. Urquhart. The film runs through July 7, hourly, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org. Included in Museum Plus One admission (general admission and one Imax film or special exhibition): $25; $19 for students and 60+; $14.50 for ages 2 to 12. Member tickets: $12.50; $8 for children.

‘Gazillion Bubble Show: The Next Generation’ (Friday through Sunday, and Wednesday) Children love bubbles, and this interactive show promises not just a gazillion but also some of the largest ever blown, along with light effects and lasers. The stars are the members of the Yang family: Fan and Ana Yang and their son Deni and others, who rotate as M.C.’s for the production. Audience members may even find themselves in bubbles of their own. (The run is open-ended.) Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 3 p.m.; Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, gazillionbubbleshow.com; $44.50 to $99.50; lap seats for ages 2 and under are $20, cash only, at the box office.

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‘Geppetto’ (Friday through Sunday) This is not the story of Pinocchio. But children over 8 will be drawn in by this tale of the puppetmaker Geppetto, who struggles to perform his old shows after the death of his wife. Written by Renee Philippi and performed by Carlo Adinolfi, artistic directors of Concrete Temple Theater, the play is a meditation on grief that is leavened by many moments of humor as Geppetto tries to stage a variety of Greek myths. After the show, Mr. Adinolfi passes his puppets around the audience and discusses the play and its inspirations. Friday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., Here, 145 Avenue of the Americas, at Dominick Street, South Village, (212) 352-3101, here.org; $20; $15 for students and 65+.

‘Jaws’ (Friday) For older children — those who are a little intrepid themselves — the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is offering a free screening of the ultimate summertime thriller: “Jaws” (1975), Steven Spielberg’s classic about a giant shark terrorizing a small island community. (Just remember that it wasn’t the Hamptons.) Part of the museum’s Summer Movie Series, the screening will take place on the Intrepid’s flight deck, as long as the weather is good. Families are encouraged to bring picnics and their own seating — blankets or lawn chairs. At sunset; doors open at 7:30; no admission after 8:30. Pier 86, 46th Street and 12th Avenue, Clinton, (877) 957-7447, intrepidmuseum.org; free, first come first served.

‘Lily & Kosmo Live’ (Friday through Sunday) Few things are more funny than classic 1950s science fiction. The Shelter, a theater ensemble, is trying to capture it onstage in the form of an old-fashioned radio play, complete with homegrown sound effects. Written and directed by Jonathan Ashley and closing this weekend, the show follows Lily Lupino and Kosmo Kidd, 6-year-old space cadets, as they travel the universe with the Spacetronauts, trying to avoid a villain, Meanman of Morgo. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; Connelly Theater, 220 East Fourth Street, East Village, theshelternyc.org; $18; $15 for students and 65+; $7.50 for ages 12 and under.

‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ (Saturday) If the children of the Pevensie family could travel to the magical land of Narnia through something as simple as a wardrobe, why shouldn’t two hard-working actors be able to play them and all the characters found there? That’s what Catherine Fowles and Jara Jones are attempting in Off Broadway Family Theater’s first production, le Clanché du Rand’s adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s classic novel. (The run is open-ended.) At 11 a.m., St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, narniaoffbroadway.com; $35.

Little Yoga Bubbles (Saturday and Tuesday) The smallest children can stretch their bodies — and their horizons — at these yoga mini-classes in Central Park. Limited to 15 children, the classes will lend yoga mats to the first 10 arrivals. For children 3 to 6, the teachers will use yoga poses to tell stories that focus on different emotions; the little participants will also learn why the exercises are good for them. Classes for babies emphasize touching and bonding with their parents or caregivers. (Through Aug. 23.) For ages 3 to 6, Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. For ages 6 to 18 months, Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; there will not be classes on July 4. Entrance at Central Park South, near the Center Drive, on the lawn; a banner will indicate the site. Registration is recommended at littleyogabubbles.com; suggested donation, $10. (The program has also expanded to Prospect Park in Brooklyn with family Saturday classes; details are on the Web site.)

Mad. Sq. Kids (Tuesday) The kids attending won’t have to worry about being mad or square: The entertainment is fun and hip in this summer series of hourlong concerts in Madison Square Park. This week’s performer is Big Bang Boom, a power-pop band made up of dads who are also professional musicians. At 10:30 a.m., Oval Lawn, 23rd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues, madisonsquarepark.org; free.

‘Piggy Nation the Musical!’ (Sunday) Sammy Hamhock, the little pig at the center of this show for ages 3 to 10, doesn’t mind being a pig, but he’s disturbed when he sees somebody acting like one. With a script and lyrics by Richard Rosser, who adapted his own children’s book “Piggy Nation: A Day at Work With Dad,” and a score by Alec Wells, this 75-minute musical follows Sammy as he accompanies his father on Piggy Patrol: that’s when you get a ticket for hoglike behavior. (The run is open-ended.) At noon, the Jerry Orbach Theater, Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 921-7862, piggynationnyc.com; $30 to $60 (premium seats).

‘Pinocchio’ (Saturday and Sunday) Who better to play a wooden marionette than a wooden marionette? Nicolas Coppola, artistic director of Puppetworks, has adapted Collodi’s traditional story of the adventures — and moral education — of the puppet who wanted to be real in this marionette production, which includes an original score. (Through Aug. 18.) At 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., Puppetworks, 338 Sixth Avenue, at Fourth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-3391, puppetworks.org; $9; $8 for children. Reservations advised.

‘Pop-Up Audubon’ (Saturday and Sunday) The Audubon Center is near the Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue entrance in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, but in this new program it is turning up in a lot of other places too. Each month the center sets up shop in a different area of the park to investigate a particular ecosystem. June’s theme is “Water, Water Everywhere!,” and the activities include an animal encounter at 1 p.m.; “Nature’s Helpers,” at 2 p.m., in which children will help clean the park while exploring it; “Nature on the Go! Pond Prowl,” at 3 p.m., in which they’ll investigate the aquatic life in the Binnen Pools; and a Discovery Tour, at 4 p.m., in which they’ll look at waterfowl habitats along the waterfall trail. On Saturdays only, families can also take part in an introduction to birdwatching at noon. (Through Oct. 27.) Meeting in the orange tent in the Nethermead, reachable from the 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest entrance, (718) 287-3400, prospectpark.org/audubon; free.

‘Portraits: My City, Myself’ (Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday) For 35 years Studio in a School, an educational organization, has been bringing professional artists into New York schools and community centers to work with children. And several times a year it also brings the art resulting from that collaboration to the public. This exhibition, on view through Aug. 3, comprises more than 140 works from some 230 young artists from preschool through high school — drawings, paintings, prints, collages and sculptures — illustrating their visions of themselves and their communities. (Through Aug. 3.) Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays through Thursdays, 1 to 6 p.m.; closed July 4. Hunter College East Harlem Art Gallery, 2180 Third Avenue, at 119th Street, (212) 396-7819, hunter.cuny.edu/eastharlem-artgallery; free.

‘Red Grooms’ New York City’ (Friday through Thursday) The painter and sculptor Red Grooms may soon acquire a whole new set of fans: New Yorkers under 10. His bright, fanciful and often mixed-media work makes up a new exhibition opening on Friday at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, part of its “Catch the Spirit of NYC” summer. The show, “Red Grooms’ New York City,” consists of eight pieces highlighting both Mr. Grooms’s creative process and the city itself, like “Rockefeller Center” (1995), which he calls a “sculpto-pictorama.” Daily art workshops at 10 a.m. will lead young visitors in projects inspired by his creations. (Through Jan. 5.) Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on Saturdays; Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org. Free with admission: $11; $7 for 65+; free for members and under 1.

Stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen (Saturday) Not everything that blooms perennially in Central Park is a flower or a tree. Storytelling also returns there each summer, as the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Central Park Conservancy and the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center bring narrative performers to Andersen’s statue every Saturday. The series, for ages 6 and older, continues this week with Charlotte Blake Alston telling a tale from Senegal. (Through Sept. 28.) At 11 a.m., inside the park at 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, rain or shine, hcastorycenter.org; free.

Summerstage Kids Bronx Family Day (Saturday) A city park will double as a vaudeville stage, a dance floor and a double dutch arena in this summer celebration, presented by Disney and the City Parks Foundation. Performers will include the KR3TS Dance Company, the comedy jugglers the Gizmo Guys and the variety star LuckyBob, as well as the jump rope divas Double Dutch Dreamz. A hip-hop dance class and golf workshops are also part of the fun. From 4 to 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Park, East 146th Street and St. Ann’s Avenue, Mott Haven, the Bronx, cityparksfoundation.org, summerstage.org; free.

Sunset Eco-Cruises to the Harbor Heron Islands (Sunday) Herons, egrets and ibises are New Yorkers too, and about 3,000 reside on the islands around the city harbor. This cruise from New York City Audubon visits the birds’ lairs and provides binoculars for close-up viewing. Gabriel Willow, a naturalist and storyteller, narrates the adventure, conducted via New York Water Taxi. This weekend’s destination: Jamaica Bay, home to great cormorants and glossy ibises, among other species. From 6 to 9 p.m., Pier 17, South Street Seaport, Fulton and South Streets, Lower Manhattan, (212) 742-1969, nywatertaxi.com/tours/audubon; $60; $50 for ages 3 through 12; free for under 3.

‘10-Foot Cops: The NYPD’s Mounted Unit’ (Friday through Thursday) Not all of the heroes of the Police Department walk on two legs. “10-Foot Cops,” a new exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, celebrates the horses of the mounted unit and the officers who ride them. Lent by the New York City Police Museum, temporarily closed because of damage from Hurricane Sandy, the show, running through Oct. 6, includes uniforms, paintings, historical photos, film clips, a partial reproduction of a police stable and saddles for children to pose in. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on Saturdays; Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org. Free with admission: $11; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members.

‘A Voyage Through Jewish History’ (Sunday through Thursday) This journey involves not just miles, but years. In this new permanent interactive exhibition at the Jewish Children’s Museum, young visitors can travel from Abraham and Sarah’s tent to the Western Wall in contemporary Jerusalem and beyond. Activities along the way include giving water to Rebecca’s camels, playing the strings on David’s harp (a high-tech version with beams of light that emit sounds when struck) and taking part in the exodus from Egypt. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays; the museum will be open until 5 p.m. on July 4. 792 Eastern Parkway, at Kingston Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, (718) 907-8833, jcm.museum; $13; $10 for 65+; free for under 2.

World Championship of Sand Sculpting (through Sunday) Castles, yes, but so much more. This annual competition, taking place in Atlantic City for the first time, has attracted more than 25 sculptors from a dozen countries, creating towering busts and monuments, fairy tale scenes, mythological creatures and imaginary kingdoms. All are sprayed with a biodegradable mist of glue and water to protect them from the elements. This is the last weekend of the event, at which children can learn techniques and tips from professional sculptors. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Atlantic City Beach, at Missouri Avenue, worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com; free. LAUREL GRAEBER

A version of this schedule appears in print on June 28, 2013, on Page C20 of the New York edition with the headline: Spare Times For Children. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe